Write a commentOswego Opera Theater is pleased to present La Traviata (The Fallen Woman), one of Giuseppe Verdi’s most beloved operas, on November 11 and 12.
Conducted by Juan Francisco LaManna (the company’s co-Artistic Director) and Directed by Benjamin Spierman (co-Artistic Director, from NYC), it will feature talented singers from NYC and CNY in major roles, along with local artists in minor ones and the chorus.
It is highly unusual for a city the size of Oswego to support a regional opera company, but for over forty years, that is what Oswego has done! How did this happen? Mainly, its successful longevity is due to community support. Incorporated in 1978, Oswego Opera Theater has presented one or two operas annually, making its productions an integral part of the Central New York area’s cultural traditions.
Oswego Opera Theater began with the vision of Dr. James Soluri, a professor in the Music Department of SUNY Oswego. Beginning in the 1960s, Dr. Soluri taught classes in music theater workshops and began directing the college’s musical theater productions. He then began teaching opera theater workshops and, by 1970, presentations of operas were performed by the students on campus. After a certain amount of success, “Doc” realized he needed hands-on-experience if he were to present his opera productions to a wider audience. To that end, he spent his 1976 sabbatical leave in New York City, serving as an apprentice with the Bronx Opera Company, headed by Michael Spierman, and with the Amato Opera Company as well. He soaked up every bit of knowledge offered regarding opera performance and presentation.
Upon his return to Oswego, he continued the opera workshops at the college, but now opened productions to the public. The Oswego Opera Theater was then incorporated, its first Board of Directors being installed in 1978.
The first production given by Oswego Opera Theater was H.M.S. Pinafore by Gilbert & Sullivan in 1979. One major opera was then presented each year until 1993, after which time there were often two, a main-stage production of a classic opera in the fall and a chamber opera or children’s opera in the spring. Over the years, the repertoire has included works by major composers of all eras including the present. Oswego audiences have been treated to works by Purcell, Mozart, Verdi, Bizet, Strauss, Menotti, Bernstein, and others too numerous to mention. Singers have been a mix of professionals, amateurs, and everything in between! They are drawn from New York City, the Central New York area, and farther afield. The company’s mission is to produce high quality musical productions for the residents of Oswego and the entire Central New York region, as well as to provide performance opportunities for local musicians and for young professionals starting their careers.
Thanks to the support of our community, Oswego Opera Theater continues to fulfill its mission with this fall’s full-scale production of Verdi’s La Traviata. This will be held on Saturday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 12 at 2:00 p.m. in Waterman Theater, Tyler Hall on the SUNY Oswego campus. Though sung in Italian, there will be subtitles in English. Tickets are available at the SUNY Oswego Box Office in the Marano Campus Center and online at tickets.oswego.edu, or by phone 315 312-3073. Prices are $30 for general admission, $25 for senior citizens, and $10 for students.
